Gene Banks, anyone? The Bulls certainly look as if they...

May 18, 1988|By Linda Kay & Mike Conklin.

Gene Banks, anyone? The Bulls certainly look as if they could use an experienced, offensive-minded forward like Banks at this desperate point in the NBA playoffs. The Bulls lost interest in the 29-year-old forward at the start of the season after a bitter dispute over an injury sustained last summer. Banks recovered, but Tuesday he was in a Chicago hospital-awaiting the birth of his second child. Last year, he was the club`s No. 4 scorer, with single-game bests of 24 points and 17 rebounds. He`ll be back. We hear Banks is headed for a contract with the new NBA team in Charlotte, N.C.

SUMMIT MEETING

The Blackhawk Think Tank will convene Wednesday in a Stadium meeting that should be significant for the franchise`s success-starved fans. General Manager Bob Pulford and coach Bob Murdoch will go over, from soup to nuts, priorities for next season. Their talk is sure to cover the upcoming draft, player personnel and training-camp structure. Specific goals are expected to be established for next season. Said Murdoch: ``If we get 69 points again, we`ll all be looking for jobs.`` Hint to players worried about staying on the roster: The coach is reading a book about mental toughness by Dr. James Laehr.

SOME SOX SUNSHINE

You`d better sit down for this item. We have good news from White Sox officials. They`re reporting the dire predictions of long traffic delays, resulting from Dan Ryan Expressway contruction, haven`t materialized. A study done by the team showed the suggested alternate routes to Comiskey Park have created only ``marginal increases`` in travel time for fans. Said Sox Vice President Howard Pizer: ``The Ryan construction thankfully has not been a problem for game traffic to this point. The enormous publicity generated by the media apparently kept a large percentage of traffic off the expressway. Better yet, many people seem to be making use of public transportation and avoiding the roads entirely.`` . . . Note: The Sox volunteered this information in a press release-a curious move, considering they`ve spent most of the season painting a gloomy picture for themselves in Chicago. Could this shift in gears mean St. Petersburg is fading?

FOREWORD, HO

Our esteemed Tribune colleague, Bob Verdi, has just had some of his columns published in book form. It`s called ``The Bob Verdi Collection,`` and the book is one of four in a series of works by columnists published by the Taylor Co. in Dallas. The other writers are Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times, Blackie Sherrod of the Dallas Morning News and Edwin Pope of the Miami Herald. Said Verdi: ``It`s nice to be a part of this group, but I think it was sort of like golf: They needed someone to round out a foursome.`` . . . With all due respect, the four sports columnists have some entertaining guys as warmup acts in their books. The introductions were written by: Mike Royko

One Chicagoan, Eric Barber, can watch Michael Jordan put on his one-on-one moves and yawn. Barber is the wheelchair basketball player who beat Jordan about a year ago in an NBC SportsWorld challenge match. Now, we hear that particular segment, which was included in the Sports Fantasy IV video narrated by Len Berman, is up for an Emmy in the Edited/Special category. Sports Fantasy V comes out later this month, and Bear fans should be relieved one request never materialized. A letter-writer wanted to challenge William Perry to a rib-eating contest, but producers couldn`t get it arranged.

PAST AND PRESENT

Merle Harmon, who helped usher in White Sox games on SportsVision in 1982, has signed a contract with NBC to serve as a substitute pro football announcer while the network`s regular crew is in South Korea for the Olympics. For 10 years, Harmon was the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers on WTMJ radio. He is currently a pay-TV voice for Texas Rangers home games when he isn`t overseeing his thriving sporting-goods business. Merle`s most recent football announcing has been Southwest Conference games, which, of course, is almost the same thing as doing pro football.

- Gary Fencik has graduated from Illinois Lotto ads to the big time. Intersport has just negotiated a deal for the photogenic ex-Bear to appear in a Miller Lite commercial, which will be filmed in late August in Los Angeles. NEWS, NOTES AND NONSENSE